HOUSTON – On their third starting quarterback in their third game, the Texans needed a quarter to get going offensively. When things started to click in the second quarter, paired with a strong defense, there was no stopping No. 20/21 ranked Tarleton State on Saturday night.
The Texans (2-1) had five different players score a touchdown, including three in the second quarter, to knock off Houston Christian (0-2) at Husky Stadium in Houston 35-18. This was the first time Tarleton State played at HCU, and the Texans left their purple imprint, improving to 2-0 in the series with a total 84-25 margin of victory.
Tarleton rushed for 267 yards on the night, led by the dynamic duo of Kayvon Britten and Derrel Kelley III. Britten raced for 152 yards on 26 carries (5.8 YPC) and his first touchdown of the season, while Kelley ran for 108 yards on 23 carries (4.7 YPC) and his second touchdown of the year. Tarleton last had two players rush for 100-plus yards in the same game by these same two players less than a year ago, when the two combined for 289 rushing yards at Eastern Kentucky on Oct. 14. This year, Britten now has 384 yards on 64 carries (6.0 YPC). Kelley, who had 239 rushing yards and two touchdowns in Tarleton’s 49-7 win over HCU in 2022, now has 347 yards rushing and three touchdowns in two games against the Huskies all-time.
Quarterback Daniel Greek got the nod under center, Tarleton’s third starting QB through three games. Since at least 2008, this is the first time Tarleton has utilized three starting quarterbacks in the span of an entire season. Greek was efficient in his first Texan start, completing 15-of-22 for 179 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. He found three different receivers in the end zone, connecting with Cody Jackson from 24 yards out, Mikey Henderson from 22 yards away and Darius Cooper from nine yards away. Greek became the third QB in Tarleton’s NCAA Division I era to throw three touchdowns in his first career start.
Tarleton’s defense was firm all night, starting with a scoreless spot in the opening quarter. HCU drove 47 yards on the first drive of the game, but the Texans stood tall to force a turnover on downs. After Tarleton returned the favor, the Texans forced three more empty possessions, going punt-punt-interception, with defensive back Donta Stuart picking off his first ball as a member of the Purple and White.
Stuart’s interception immediately followed the first points of the game scored with 13:28 remaining in the second quarter. The Texans marched on an 11-play, 84-yard drive, capping it off with Kelley’s 9-yard TD scamper. Two plays later, the Texans got the ball right back, and two plays after that, they made it 14-0 Tarleton State with the Greek-to-Jackson score over the middle.
HCU didn’t fold though, and found its offensive footing with a 66-yard drive on eight plays to cut the deficit in half, 14-7. Champ Dozier had the score with a 3-yard rushing touchdown.
The Texans then made it three straight touchdown scoring drives as they chewed up over seven minutes of clock with a 13-play, 75-yard drive that ended in a Britten 2-yard score on the ground. Tarleton State led 21-7 at the break.
Tarleton had a rare turnover to open the second half, just its second of the season, as HCU’s Xavier Toliver picked off Greek and returned it 41 yards to the Tarleton 15-yard line. The Texan defense didn’t give in though, forcing a 23-yard field goal to make the score 21-10.
The Texans opened the floodgates with back-to-back touchdown scoring drives, the first being Henderson’s 22-yard score to cap off a 15-play, 75-yard drive, followed by a seven-play, 70-yard drive that led to Cooper’s 9-yard TD reception to make it 35-10 Tarleton State.
HCU added a late touchdown and two-point conversion with 3:17 to play (AJ Wilson 11 yard connection from Cutter Stewart), but the game was well in hand for Tarleton State. Texan DB Dabari Hawkins sealed the deal with an INT with 1:39 left to boost the Texans to a 2-1 start to the season.
This is the third straight year the Texans have started 2-1 on the season. The Texans have won six of their last seven games overall and have won five of their last six road games against FCS opponents.
Cooper finished with six catches for 71 yards and a TD, while Henderson tallied five receptions for 66 yards and a touchdown. Defensively, Stuart and Hawkins each had an INT, and Brandon Tolvert and AJ Owens each had a half-sack. Tolvert had a tied-team-high seven tackles, sharing the team-lead with Bam Smith.
The Texans had just two punts on the day. Adrian Guzman pinned the Huskies at the 1-yard line on the last one with a nice save out of the end zone by Kasyus Kurns. However, an unsportsmanlike penalty on the Texans moved it from the 1-yard line to the 16-yard line.
Tarleton State outgained HCU 446-289, and led the time of possession 40:43 to 19:17. The Texans won the turnover battle for the third straight game to start the year, now plus-six overall.
The Texans will get a chance to rest up, as they enter their first of two bye weeks. Following the bye, Tarleton will play at fellow United Athletic Conference member North Alabama in Florence on Saturday, Sept. 21, at 6 p.m. CT.
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